Not all good news - Larkin hurts knee

By Mark Blaudschun, Globe Staff | September 9, 2007

Although Boston College came out of yesterday's game against North Carolina State with a 37-17 victory, it may have lost another defensive starter when end Nick Larkin went down with a knee injury in the second quarter.

Larkin is scheduled to have an MRI today to determine the extent of the injury.

A hot time

Heat was a factor, with coaches on both sides shuffling players in and out. Game-time temperature was 90 degrees, but the Alumni Stadium turf was a sizzling 126 . . . Kickoffs were again a subject of concern for Jagodzinski, who switched from Steve Aponavicius to Billy Bennett after Aponavicius had three kicks go out of bounds last week. Bennett was not much better, although Jagodzinski did point out the Eagles were intent on keeping the ball away from dangerous returners Darrell Blackman and Jamelle Eugene. "It's our nemesis right now," said Jagodzinski . . . The concern on offense was a case of "the dropsies" by the receivers, who dropped six of Matt Ryan's passes. "That was not good," said Jagodzinski. "We're going to get that addressed and that will be fixed before we go down to Georgia Tech next week. We left a lot of yardage, and I think some points, on the field." . . . Running back Andre Callender had 158 yards rushing and two touchdowns; it was the sixth 100-yard rushing game of his career.

They meet again

Yesterday's game was only the fifth of a series that began in 1936. The Eagles now lead, 3-2 . . . BC has won 13 straight games at Alumni Stadium, including a 30-10 win over N.C. State in 2005. The Eagles' last loss in Alumni Stadium was to Florida State, 28-17, on Sept. 17, 2005, their first game in the ACC.

Degrees of success

Despite the problems of defensive tackle B.J. Raji, who will redshirt this season, BC has an impressive academic standing. The football team has 17 players who already have received their undergraduate degrees, the most of any program in the country . . . Yesterday's was BC's second consecutive ACC game, and the Eagles will not get a break from conference play until Army visits Alumni Stadium Sept. 22. No other school in the country opened this season with three consecutive conference games . . . Wolfpack head man Tom O'Brien was not the only coach making a homecoming yesterday. Ten members of O'Brien's staff have spent time in the BC program . . . N.C. State was shorthanded. Defensive tackles Alan-Michael Cash (death of his father) and DeMario Pressley (knee) were absent, as were tailback Toney Baker (knee) and tight end Anthony Hill (knee). Pressley, Baker, and Hill are done for the season . . . One of the players on the N.C. State roster with Bay State ties was kicker Steve Hauschka, who is from Needham and didn't play football in high school. He started his career at Middlebury College, playing soccer his first year and football for the next three.